Written By: Lauretta Onwuegbuzie
As young adults, there are many skills today that are required of us, that we were not really taught back in primary and secondary schools. Some of us may have learnt these skills from life experiences but still many people lack them. These skills include emotional intelligence, proactivity, analytical skills, critical thinking ability and so on.
Many schools today offer entrepreneurial classes, vocational classes and technological classes with the aim of grooming children with the right skills set for the future. However, here are some important skills that we still need to help children acquire so that they can take charge of their future.
- Adaptability
Adaptability is being able to adjust one’s lifestyle based on your present circumstances. Simply put, being able to live and thrive in the comfort of your home, and in your school hostel or dormitory, and at NYSC camp is called ADAPTABILITY.
This is a very important skill, especially since life itself is unpredictable. It is advised that parents shouldn’t get their children too used to one particular way of living. Personally, I come from a close knit family and my parents hardly ever allowed me to go out. However thanks to experiences like Sea School Lagos and church retreats outside Lagos, I got to learn how to adapt.
At sea school, it was pretty rough for me for the first few days and that’s because I didn’t know what the necessary things to pack so I ended up forgetting some important things. I had never lived outside my home for so long. I was deeply fascinated by the whole experience and I made mistakes that I eventually learnt from. I learnt how to compromise for others, how to make any scattered room tidy and habitable, how to use whatever resources available to make something useful etc.
In summary, I learnt how to adapt to a new environment. It could be with new people or a new place. So dear parents, guardians, uncles, aunts and older siblings please encourage your younger ones to explore so that they can learn how to be adaptable. Let them go on summer camps, let them go on excursions.
Often times kids exposed to such experiences grow to be global citizens and change makers.
- Tolerance
Being tolerant is a very important skill for the future. This is because today we face a lot of crisis and conflict in the world due to the fact that people are not willing to tolerate one another. There’s a lot of discrimination because people are not ready to accept that someone else is different and that being different is okay. At least the other person should be respected. Flowing from this is the ability to love and thrive in a diverse environment.
- Tech savviness
Technology is not just about the device but it’s also about what we use it for. In another 10 years, it is expected that we would have advanced technological development. To be able to manage these devices, children of today need to be tech savvy and prepared for the future.
Children will need to be able to perform certain tasks with the use of online tools. It is indeed sad that there are still some children across various countries in Africa who do not have access to basic technology. This is why it is good to encourage NGOs that seek to empower children to become tech savvy. Most of the things I learned in my primary and secondary school computer class has helped me greatly in my work as a professional today.
- Creativity
Creativity and innovation are definitely skills of the future and now is the best time to teach children. They need to be groomed on how to think outside the box. It’s common to see parents encourage their kids to be better at subjects like Maths and Science than at Visual Arts and Crafts. Maths and Science are not bad in themselves but we should allow children dream, express their creativity, and imagination. The future of African innovation needs this.
- Critical thinking
From a young age, children should be taught history and be made to understand the challenges the world faces in very simple explanations. They themselves already understand some of these problems. In addition to knowing & understanding the problem, children should also be given simple tasks of coming up with simple solutions to these problems. Like loving everyone regardless of differences, reducing daily waste to reduce global warming etc.
A combination of two or more of these skills holds the key to unlocking a brighter future for the African continent. We are sure to see a steady progression in our growth and development.
